About this episode

The episode features discussions on animation and the Tribeca Film Festival with guests discussing their animated shorts.

It's a fun week on BEHIND THE LENS as we’re talking animation and the Tribeca Film Festival! And not just any animation, but world premiere animation shorts - DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS and ROAR, both animated gems led by filmmakers with a Pixar pedigree - animation editor SARAH AFFLECK and writer/director JESSE WEGLEIN, respectively. First up, we’re gonna roar with writer/director/editor/dp/and songwriter JESSE WEGLEIN and his beautiful short ROAR! ROAR follows a neurodivergent young girl with selective mutism who, after being uprooted from Tokyo to San Francisco, must navigate a chaotic new culture and an isolating silence by transforming her internal K-Pop soundtrack into a vibrant visual language to find her place—and her new roar. As you’re about to hear, JESSE WEGLEIN discusses his animated short film ROAR, highlighting its visual sensory appeal and personal connection to San Francisco. The film, inspired by Weglein's wife's move from Tokyo to the Bay Area, addresses the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals. Weglein, with 16 years at Pixar, employed a highly believable yet stylized animation style, emphasizing expressive eyes and naturalistic settings. A key element…

People in this episode

Guests: JESSE WEGLEIN, SARAH AFFLECK

Topics covered

• animation
• Tribeca Film Festival
• neurodivergent representation
• short films
• Pixar alumni

Keywords

• animation
• short films
• neurodivergent
• Tribeca Film Festival
• Pixar
• ROAR
• DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pixar

Books & works: ROAR, DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS

Places: Tokyo, San Francisco, Bay Area

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• BTL Radio Show - 05/11/2026 with guest writr/director JOHN MICHAEL KENNEDY discussing AN ENEMY WITHIN · May 11, 2026 · 1h 1m

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